Machine for branding corks.



Patented Aug; 22, I899.

No. ssgasa.

F. C. H. STRASBURGEB.

MACHINE FOB BRANDING GOBKS.

(Application filed Se t 2 1 98.)

(No Model.)

2 sheets-sum ll|l- IL mmlnumlmmm b,

m m E 'WIII No. sa aas. Patented Aug. 22, I899.

' F. c. H. STRASBURGER.

MACHINE FOB BBANDING BURKS.v

(Application filed Sept. 27, 1898.) (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

FFICE.

PATENT FRANK O. H. STRASBURGER, OF QHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR BRANDING CORKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,388, dated August 22, 1899. Application tiled September 27,1898. Serial No. 691.983. We model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK O. H. STRAS- BURGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Branding Corks and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in machines for branding corks and the like; and its primary object is to provide a simple and inexpensive machine of this character which will operate automatically at high speed, if desired, to feed and deliver the corks to the branding devices at the proper intervals and inthe proper position relative to the-dies.

Another object of the invention is to pro-- vide means for regulating the passage of the corks to the branding-dies, so that they shall not become crowded or. jammed in the machine, these means being preferably operated coincident with the feeding devices. 7 I

Another object is to maintain the corks in an upright position after they pass from the hopper and while being branded; and a further object is to avoid any shock or jar to the operative parts immediately after the cork is branded and passes from between the feeding device and the branding device by causing the branded cork to form a cushion for the branding device when it springs back into its initial position.

My invention also has for its object to pro duce a machine simple in its general construction and organization and which can be operated rapidly and with very little care or attention, all of which will be fully and clearly pointed out hereinafterin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, a portion of the hopperbein g broken away to show the agitating devices. Fig. 2 is a top plan view with the hopper'and feed-tubercmoved and showing the parts as they appear while one cork is passing the branding-dies. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the branded cork forming a cushion and another cork in position to be fed to the branding-dies. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the agitators.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts chine.

in all of the figures, the operative parts are mounted on a suitable frame A, having a top plate a, and a main shaft B issupported beneath the top plate and carries the tight and idle pulleys b b and the bevel-gear O, which meshes with a bevel-gear c,'carried by the upright shaft 0, mounted in the top plate. hopper D is supported on a standard (1, secured on the frame, and a feed-tube (1 leads from the hopper to the feed device of the ma- In a chamber E at the bottom of the hopper two parallel shafts F are journaled and geared together, so that they will be operated in unison by the belt e, which is trained around a pulley e on the main shaft and a corresponding pulley e on one of the shafts F.

The shafts F carry agitators f, which comprise a number of projections f, arranged in a staggered position on each shaft and also with relation to each other, so that a projection on one shaftwill be opposite a space be tween two projections on the other shaft. The feed-tube is located between the agitators and at the middle of the chamber E, so that the corks will be moved and impelled by the agitators directly into the tube. To facilitate this operation, the projections are made smaller at the middle of the chamber and increase in size to the ends, where they are largest, thus forming an opening between themselves immediately above the feed-tube to permit the corks to enter the tube properly. Inclines G are arranged in the chamber to direct the corks to theagitators in the proper manner. 7

A feed-cam H is mounted on the shaft 0 and has the cavity h and the serrated or roughened cam-surface h. This feed-cam is locatedso that it will pass beneath the feedtube, and in the operation of the machine the cork falls from the feed-tube into the cavity in the cam and is then fed around by the cam as it is revolved.

the cork is moved forward by the cam itis V carried against the finger, and the tension of the springi" is overcome bythe movement of the cam and cork until the cork is entirely released from the finger and passes on to the branding-dies.

A horizontally-swinging branding-arm J is pivoted at one end to the top plate, and it is provided with a segmental portion j at its other end to accommodate the cam-surface h of the feed device. This arm is under the influence of a spring K, which can be adjusted as desired to provide for the particular size of cork to be branded and which holds the branding-arm to its work. The brandingdies are heated electrically or otherwise and are preferably located on the inner side of the segmental portion of the arm. A guardplate 7c is fastened to the branding-arm, and it projects over the feed-cam to prevent the corks from working upward while they are being fed forward.

A cushion-support L is arranged on the top plate in advance of the feed-cam and just over the discharge-opening Z in the top plate, and this support is provided with a notched end I to receive the branded cork and hold the same in conjunction with the branding-arm until another cork has entered the space between the arm and feed-cam and pushed the arm outward sufficiently to release the cork.

In order to prevent the corks crowding out of the feed-tube, I provide a horizontallyworking pin M in said tube, which is adapted to be forced inward to engage the cork just above the lowest in the tube and prevent it crowding the lowest cork when the latter falls out of the tube and onto the top plate in the cavity of the feed-cam. This pin is forced in by thecam m on the shaft 0 at the proper time, and it is retracted by a spring-arm N, secured to the tube by the collar 71.

The operation of the machine will be readily understood. The machine is set in motion under the influence of any motive power, and the agitators work the cork down into the feed-tube. This tube terminates just above the feed-cam, and the lowest cork will rest upon the cam, as shown in Fig. 2, until it drops down upon the top plate and into the cavity of the feed-cam, the cam 171. being so timed that it will force the pin M into engagement with the next lowest cork to hold the column of corks in the tube when the lowest cork falls out of the tube. The cam then feeds the cork out of engagement with the guard-arm I and finger i and into engagement with the arm J, the spring K holding the arm tightly against the cork, so that the branding will be properly accomplished when the cork passes the dies. After the cork is branded it is released by the cam and comes to rest temporarily in the notched end of the cushion-support, thus forming in itself a cushion to receive the blow of the brandingarm, which when the cork is fed from between the feed-can'i and branding-arm is drawn back against the feed-cam by the spring K to operate upon the next cork. The cork thus forms a cushion for the branding-arm, and when the next cork is fed by the cam the pressure of the arm on the branded cork is released and that cork falls into thedischarge opening Z.

I am aware that various changes may be made in the form and proportion of parts of the different elements of the machine without departing from the invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make all such changes as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. The agitators may be built up of sections mounted on the shafts F or they maybe made in the form of solid rollers with studs at each end. The branding-dies may be of any desired style or construction and secured in the branding-arm in any suitable manner.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for branding corks and the like, the combination with a feed device and means for supplying corks thereto, of a swinging branding-arm carrying the bran ding-dies and provided with a segmental end portion to accommodate the feed device, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for branding corks and the like, the combination with a feed device and means for supplying corks thereto, of a swinging branding-arm carrying the branding-dies, and a. guard-plate on said arm projecting over the feed device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a machine for branding corks and the like, the combination with afeed device and means for supplying corks thereto, of a swinging branding-arm carrying the branding-dies, and means for holding the branded cork in position to form a cushion for the brandingarm, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for branding corks and the like, the combination with a feed device and means for supplying corks thereto, of a swinging branding-arm carrying the branding-dies, and a cushion-support to receive the branded cork which forms the cushion, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for branding corks and the like, the combination with a feed device and means for supplying corks thereto, of a swinging branding arm carrying the branding-dies, and a support located adjacent to the feed device and branding-arm so as to receive the cork after it is released by said feed device and hold the cork to form a cushion for the arm, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for branding corks and the like, the combination with a frame having a discharge-opening therein, of a device for branding the cork arranged at one side of the discharge-opening, and a support on the opposite side of said opening so that the cork may be temporarily held between the branding device and the support and over the discharge-opening, and then permitted to fall therethrough, substantially as described.

7. In a machine for branding corks andthe like, the combination with branding means and a feed-tube for supplying corks thereto,

.of a feed device for carrying the corks from the feed-tube to the branding means and convided with a cavity, a feed-tube for supply-- ing corks to the feed-cam, and a fixed device located between the feed-tube and feed-cam for holding the corks in an upright position whilein the cavity of the cam and before being engaged by the branding means, substantially as described.

9. In a machine for branding corks and the like, the combination with branding means and a device for feeding corks thereto, of a feed-tube for supplying corks to the feed device and terminating above said device, and an arm projecting over the feed device for holding the corkin an upright position on said feed device and in the cavity thereof afterit leaves the tube, substantially as described.

10. In a machine for branding corks and the like, the combination with branding means and a device for feeding corks thereto, of a feed-tube for supplying corks to the feed device, an arm and a spring-controlled finger carried by the armfor holding the cork in an upright position after it leaves the tube, substantially as described.

11. In a machine for branding corks and the like, the combination with branding means and a device for feeding corks thereto, of a feed-tube for supplying corks to thefeed device, an arm and a spring-controlled finger carried by the arm for holding the cork in an upright position after it leaves the'tube, and a guard-plate on the branding means, substantially as described.

12. In amachine for branding corks and the like, the combination with branding means and a device for feeding corks thereto, of a feed-tube for supplying corks to the feed device, a spring-controlled pin on the feed-tube, and a cam device for forcing said pin into contact with the corks in the tube, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

13. In a machine for branding corks and the like, the combination with branding means and a device for feeding corks thereto, of a feed-tube for supplying corks to the feed device, a pin operating horizontally through the feed-tube, a cam device arranged to operate coincident with the feed device to force the pin into contact with the corks in the tube and a spring-arm for retracting said pin, substantially as described.

14. In a machine for branding corks and the like, the combination with a feed device having a cavity and a cam-surface, of a swing ing branding-arm and a spring for holding said arm close to the feed device, a feed-tube terminating above said device and adapted to feed a cork directly thereon and permit the cork to fall into the cavity of said device, means for holding the cork in an upright po sition upon the feed device and in the cavity thereof after it leaves the tube and a device for holding the other corks in the tube until the cavity of the feed device has passed from beneath the feed-tube, substantially as described.

15. y In a machine for branding corks and the like, the combination with a frame having a top. plate, of a main shaft and means for operating the same, an upright shaft, a feedoam mounted on said upright shaft, a feedtube for supplying corks to the feed-cam, a spring-controlled pin carried by the tube, a cam on the upright shaft to force said pin into engagement with the corks in the tube, a branding-arm pivoted at one end to the table and provided with a segmental portion at its other end to accommodate the feed-cam, and a support mounted on the table to form a temporary rest for the branded cork, subarm and feed device, so that the cork will form a cushion for the arm, and permit the cork to drop after the pressure of the arm thereon is withdrawn, substantially as described.

17. In a machine for branding corks and the like, the combination with a hopper having achamber in its lower end, of a feed-tube leading down from said chamber, agitators located within the chamber and on opposite sides of the tube, and means for operating the same, said agitators comprising a number of staggered projections arranged side by side, substantially as described.

18. In a machine for branding corks and the like, the combination with a hopper having a chamber in its lower end, a feed-tube leading down from said chamber,agitators located within the chamber and on opposite sides of the tube .and means for operating the same, said agitators comprising parallel shafts and projections on the shafts arranged in a staggered position on each shaft and also with relation to each other, substantially as described.

19. In a machine for-branding corks and the like, the combination with a hopper having a chamber in its lower end, a feed-tube leading dbwn from said chamber,agitators located within the chamber and on oppositesides of the tube and means for operating the same, within the chamber and on opposite sides of IO said agitators comprising a number of stagthe tube and means for operating the same, gel-ed projections larger at the ends of the and inclines arranged above the agitators,

shafts than at the middle, substantially as de- 1 substantially as described. scribed. rw T 20. In a machine for branding corks and the s 1 RASIL RGER' like, the combination with a hopper having 1 \Vitnesses: a chamber at its lower end, a feed-tube lead- 1 \VM. 0. BELT, ing down from said chamber, agitatorslocated C. L. \VOOD. 

